According to the state-run Fars news agency on Sunday, Ramin Mehmanparast, whose remarks were broadcast on state-run TV, said, “We do not welcome any sanctions or [punitive] resolutions. We don’t want to move towards resolutions. But, at the same time, we are not prepared to back away from our rights under pressure.”
The comments ran counter to what the mullahs’ President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, had previously stated on a number of occasions to the effect that the regime “embraces sanctions.” He had added that sanctions actually benefit the Iranian regime.
Mehmanparast also unveiled the creation of “the special headquarters at the Foreign Ministry to confront sanctions.” He referred to some of the impacts, saying, “For example, there are chemical products that are used for peaceful purposes 96% of the time. They could only have a 4% chance of being used for military purposes. But, as soon as a merchant starts to be active in this field, he is told that you are importing these products for military purposes in Iran. Even cement and iron rods count as being sensitive products. They say that these products may be used for building military fortifications.”